MP 'hopes Labour is not trying to buy people off'

Conservative MP Saqib Bhatti (left) said he hoped the money was not the government's attempt to "buy people off"

An MP has said he hopes the government's Pride in Place programme is not an attempt to "buy people off".

The programme will see up to £5bn of investment for 339 "overlooked" communities across the UK, including 22 in the West Midlands region.

Saqib Bhatti, Conservative MP for Meriden and Solihull East, welcomed the funding but said: "We know there is going to be a tough budget coming down the road so it would be a shame if all Chelmsley Wood gets is £2m a year for 10 years."

Speaking on BBC Politics Midlands, Labour MP for Telford Shaun Davies said: "This is the medicine to the 14 years of austerity when council funding was cut and youth services were cut."

He added: "The fantastic thing about this is it's £2m a year each and every year for 10 years so we can rebuild that sense of momentum."

But Bhatti said: "I'm not going to knock £20m but it's important to keep it in context.

"I'm making the point, £20m it is a small amount of money in the greater context of things.

"I just hope this isn't the Labour government just trying to distract and buy people off."

Ellie Chowns, Green MP for North Herefordshire, also said she welcomed the announcement but described it as a "drop in the ocean".

She said: "Every community needs investment and I'd like to see a long-term programme of that across the entire country, not just cherry picking a few places to receive extra support."

Politics Midlands is on BBC One in the region from 10:00 BST on Sundays, and available afterwards on BBC iPlayer